LandTi - Bureau of Forestry v. CA

 v s .COU BUREAU OF FORESTRY OURT RT OF OF APPEALS and FI LOME MENO GALLO

I n Apr i l1966,t het r i a lc o ur tr e n de r e di t sde c i s i o no r d er i ngt he r egi st r at i on oft he 4 par cel s ofl and i nt he name me ofFi l ome meno Gal l o.I trul ed t hatal t hough t he cont r overt ed port i on of19. 4

G. R.No.L-37995  Augus t31,1987

hect ar esar ema mangro veand ni pa swamp mpswi wi t hi n aTi mber l and Bl o c k,pe t i t i o ne r sf a i l e dt os ubmi tc o nv i nc i ng pr o o ft ha tt he s e l ands are mor e val uabl ef or f or est ry t han f or agri cul t ur al purposes,and t hepr esumpt i on i sthatt heseareagri cul t ural l ands.

I SSUE: FACTS:  WON t he cl assi ficat i on of l ands of publ i c domai n by t he I n1961,Me r c e d e sDi Di a goappl i e df o rt her e g i s t r a t i o no f4pa r c e l s

Execut i veBranchoft heGo Governme menti nt oagri cul t ural ,f orestor

o fl a nds i t ua t e di n Bue na v i s t a ,I l o i l oc ont a i ni ngana ppr o x i ma t e

NO mi ner alcanbechangedorvari edbyt hecourt .

areaof30. 5 hect ares.Sheal l eged sheoccupi ed sai d parcel sof l and havi ngboughtt hem f r om t heest at eoft hel at eJoseMa Ma. Nava who,i n hi sl i f et i me,had boughtt hel ands i nt urn f r om Canut oGu Gust i l oi n1934.

HELD:

 The Di r ect orofLands opposed t he appl i cat i on on t he gr ound t ha tne i t he rt heappl i c a ntno rhe rp r e de c e s s or s i ni nt e r e s tha v e suffic ffi ci ent t i t l e ove rt he l ands appl i ed f or , whi ch coul d be r egi st er edundert heTorr enssyst ems ms,andthatt heyhavenever  been i n open,cont i nuousand excl usi vepossessi on oft hesai d l a ndsf o ratl e as t30y e ar s .  The Di r ect or of For est r y al so opposed on t he gr ound t hat cer t ai n port i ons oft he l ands,wi t h an are a ofappr oxi mat el y 19. 4 hec t ar es ar e mangr ov e swamp mps and ar e wi t hi n a  Ti mber l andBl ock. I n 1965,Fi l ome menoGal l opur chasedt hesubj ectpar cel sofl and f r om Mer cedesDi ago,and move dt obe subst i t ut ed i n pl aceof t hel att er ,att achi ngt o hi smo mot i on an Amended Appl i cat i on f or Re gi s t r at i ono fTi t l e . Phi l i ppi ne Fi sheri es Comm mmi ssi on al so move d t o subst i t ut e peti t i oner Bur eau ofFor est ry as opposi t or ,si nce supervi si on and cont r olofsai d port i on have been t r ansf er r ed f r om t he Bur eauofFores t ryt ot hePFC.

 Admi t t edl y ,t hecont r over si alar ea i swi t hi n at i mber l and bl oc k cl ass i fied and cer t i fied assuch by t he Di r ect orofFores t ry i n 1956.Thel ands ar eneeded f orf or estpur posesand hence t heyareport i onsoft hepubl i cdoma mai n whi ch cannotbet he s ubj e c to fr e g i s t r a t i o n pr o c e e di ng s . Cl e ar l yt h er e f o r et hel a ndi spubl i cl a nda ndt he r ei snone e df o r t he Di r ect orofForest rytosubmi tconvi nci ng pr oof st hatt he l a ndi smo mo r ev a l ua bl ef o rf o r e s tpur p os e st h anf o ra g r i c ul t ur e .  Aspr ovi dedf orunderSec.6ofComm mmo onweal t hActNo.141,t he c l a ss i fic at i o no rr e c l a ss i fic at i o no fpubl i cl a ndsi nt oal i e na bl eor ve oft he di sposabl e,mi neralorf ores tl andsi snow aprerogati

Executi veDe Depar t ment   andnotoft hecourt s.Wi t ht heserul es, t her eshoul dbenomo morer oom f ordoubtt hati ti snott hecourt  whi ch det er mi nes t he cl assi ficat i on of l ands of t he publ i c doma mai n but t he Exe cut i ve Br anch,t hrough t he Office oft he Pr e s i de nt . Furt hermo mor e,r espondent scannotcl ai m t ohaveobtai ned t hei r t i t l e by presc ri pt i on si nce t he appl i cat i on fil ed by t hem mi ss i on  necessari l yi mpl i ed anadmi t ha tt hepo r t i o nsappl i e df o r ar e par t of t he publ i c doma mai n and cannot be acq ui r ed by pr e s c r i p t i o n,u nl e s st hel a we x pr e s s l ype r mi mi t si t .I ti sar ul eo f l aw t hatpossessi on off ores tl ands,howeverl ong,cannotr i pen i nt opr i v a t eo wne wn r s hi p.